Wagner vs. Howard Betting Pick: Do Tahron Allen, Seahawks Have the Advantage in First Four?
Wagner vs. Howard Betting Pick: Do Tahron Allen, Seahawks Have the Edge in First Four?
Wagner had a conference record of 7-9 this season and was a middle of the pack team in the Northeast Conference before finding lightning in a bottle as they won three straight games as betting underdogs in the NEC tournament to clinch a birth in this year’s March Madness.
WAGNER VS. HOWARD DATE, TIME, WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
- Game Time: 6:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: TruTV
WAGNER VS. HOWARD PREDICTION
The Seahawks did it with defense as they only allowed an average of 53.33 points in the NEC tournament and did not allow a single opponent to score more than 57 points against them during that span. This is how Wagner wants to play. They want the game to be extremely slow and low scoring that is where they thrive.
While Wagner lost a total of 16 games this season, six of their losses came by five points or less with three of those losses coming by one or two points, so their record could easily look a lot better had a few more shots or bounces gone their way in the final moments of those games. Wagner is currently ranked 70th in the nation in defensive effective field goal percentage as they really stifle opponents from the outside.
Tahron Allen and the Seahawks are only allowing their opponents to shoot 29.8% from three this season which is actually ranked in the top 10 in the country. Wagner is also ranked in the top 100 in defensive rebounding percentage and do not commit a lot of fouls on the defensive end so they do a great job of cleaning up the glass and not allowing second chance opportunities. On offense, Wagner is one of the slowest teams in the nation as they are ranked 357th in average time of possession as they hold the ball for over 20 seconds per tote.
This could also work to Wagner‘s advantage in a tournament setting like this as their opponent tonight, Howard, is not a very good defensive team as they are ranked in the bottom half of the country in most key defensive metrics. Howard is ranked 334th in overall defensive efficiency which is over 160 spots lower than Wagner.
In my opinion, defense wins championships and in these types of games where opponents are not very familiar with each other, the better defense tends to have a better chance to prevail in the end. With that being said, I am rolling with Wagner +3.5 at -112 for 1.5U as one of my most confident college basketball plays of the day as I think the Seahawks can keep this game close or potentially pull the upset.
WAGNER VS. HOWARD Betting Pick
1.5U Wagner +3.5 -112 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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Article Author
Joey has spent the last 6+ years betting on sports with a focus on basketball and baseball. Basketball is his main focus, and not many people know more about mid-major basketball than him. Whether you need advice on a Saturday night primetime game or a Tuesday night back-alley SWAC/MEAC game, Joey is your man.